USPTO Patents Application 09889881

RPR-16-2004 16=09

SLGHRUE MI ON PLLC

202 293 7860 P. 03

AMENDMENT UNDER 37 C.F.R. § 1.312
U.S, APFLN. NO. 09/889,881

AMENDMENTS TO THE SPECIFICATION

Page 7, delete the paragraph (table) between the second and third lines of text on

page 7, and replace it with the following table:

Form

Origin

Characteristics before treatment

% scrap

(in mass of

ruOi)

Powders

End of pcllcl-pelletizing batch

Unsirttered powder with uncontrolled
particle size distribution and
sintcrability

Grinding powders

Sintered powder with uncontrolled
particle si/,e distribution and
sinterabilily

Recovery of dust

Uncontrolled PuO^ and impurity
content and particle size distribution

Petteis

Rejects from sorting by aspect

Sintered pellets

Samples

Excess production

Various

Chemical analyses

Nitric solutions

0-5%

Maintenance and cleaning of
production equipment and/or
gloveboxcs

Volatile chemical imparities

Nonvolatile chemical impurities

-2-

PA6E 3/1 1 * RCVD AT 4/16/2004 4:08:48 PM [Eastern Daylight Time] * SVR:USPT0€FXRF-1/2 * DNIS:8729306 * CSiD:202 293 7860 * DURATION (mm-ss):02-38

PPR-16-2604 16:09

SUGHRUE MI ON PLLC

202 293 7860 P. 04

AMENDMENT UNDER 37 C.RR. § 1.312
U.S. APPLN. NO. 09/889,881

Please delete the present Abstract of the Disclosure and replace it with the following
new Abstract of the Disclosure.

A method for dry process recycling of mixed (U,Pu)Ch oxide nuclear fuel waste,
including a process for making fuel pellets of mixed (U,Pu)(>2 oxide, including a dosage and a
first mixture ( 1) of waste in powder form and, if required, of PuC>2 and/or U0 2 powders, a
micronization (2) and a forced sieving (3) of said first mixture; another dosage and a second
mixture (4) of the first sieved mixture, of UO2 powders and, if necessary, of the waste powder,
fteUeH ^pelietizing (6) the second mixture, and sintering (7) the resulting pellets; and a process
for pre-treating the waste including tH4tetH»fr pelleiizing (20) and sintering (21) the powder waste
to form waste pellets, and micronizing (23) the waste pellets to form the desired waste powder
designed to be incorporated as waste powder, in the first (1) and/or second mixtures.

-3-

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